Alright, here's the third chapter. I appreciate the support this story has received so far. Once more, I do not own RWBY.
Jaune groaned as he tried to keep his breakfast down. He was hunched over on a railing of the airship that was positioned in front of a massive window. The blonde had lost count of how many times he almost threw up on the ship. Thankfully, he had an iron will and he did not want be ridiculed before he even stepped foot in Beacon so he was determined to keep up appearances.
But darn it, his guts protested and churned uncomfortably.
He tried to distract himself by glancing around at the other students on the airship. There were more of them than he expected but that didn't matter to him. Some students came here with friends and were huddled in their own little groups, chatting or catching up on things. However, if he was to be honest with himself, only a few managed to attract his attention.
His grandfather often told him that he should always be on the lookout for things of interest or out of the ordinary. That way, he wouldn't be caught off-guard when the situation called for it. Even during quiet moments like these, he should always be ready. The scouts were always sent first during a battle, after all.
Jaune spotted a haughty looking girl standing off to one side. She was fairly pretty in her own way. Her skin was pale while her hair and clothes were all white although he spotted a little bit of red inside her white jacket. He also spotted the famous Schnee Dust Company logo on the back of her clothes. She must be an heiress or something although he didn't need to see her family's logo to notice that. Jaune saw that she had her chin held high and looked as if everyone else wasn't worth her time.
Yeah, she was definitely one of those rich girl types.
He also took note in her choice of weapon which was a rapier of some kind.
Jaune then noticed a couple of the students crowding around an attractive red headed girl that had her hair done in a ponytail. She wore a Greek style set of armor made of bronze that showed ample amounts of skin, to which Jaune had no complaints about that part of the arrangement. She also had a red sash tied around her waist and a bracer on the top of her left arm.
She looked kind of familiar but Jaune was too nauseated to remember where he'd seen her before. He thinks it had something to do with the fact that other students looked like they were asking for autographs. He also had a vague feeling that he saw her at home at one time but that notion seemed ridiculous.
"Look Ren, its Beacon! It's so cool!" A bubbly girl standing at another window beside Jaune said. "I can't wait! How long do you think till we get there? Do you think there'll be pancakes? I love pancakes. I also love the syrup that goes on top. I can't get enough of that stuff!"
Jaune glanced off toward the source and found a cute cheery looking girl with short hair practically bouncing as she chattered happily about Beacon and all the stuff she was going to do and eat there. Standing next to her was a guy wearing a green Chinese coat, a pair of light tan pants and some dark shoes. His hair was in a ponytail and had a streak of magenta in it. He stood there just patiently listening to the girl.
They must know each other from somewhere before due to their familiarity with one another. The magenta guy seemed content by just hearing what the other girl babbled about. He casually nodded from time to time and answered in short sentences.
Jaune sighed wistfully. He kind of wished he had someone from back home to talk to during the trip to lessen the effects of his airsickness. Unfortunately, he didn't have any friends from back home. They were either too busy picking on him or ignoring him. Even if he did see someone he knew, he figured that they'd just treat him the same as they did before. Thinking back on it, he was glad no one from his old school was here.
He was cut off from his somewhat depressing thoughts as someone squealed in delight somewhere behind him.
Jaune turned toward the source and was surprised to see the girl from last night being crushed in a hug by a gorgeous looking blonde girl. They separated a moment later and began to chat excitedly. He was too far away to hear what they were saying but he was too busy staring at the girl who had helped take down those robbers from the other night.
So she was just starting at Beacon too? He would have thought that she was already a student because of the skills she displayed the other night. Jaune did notice something odd however. She looked like she was a year younger than anyone else on this ship. She must have known it too because she looked a tad bit uncomfortable as she chatted with the excited looking blonde.
She must be really good with that scythe if she was moved up ahead. Jaune thought.
Strangely enough, that thought didn't depress him as he thought it would. On the contrary, the fact that he was going to a school with some of the best to train lit a fire inside of him. Jaune couldn't help but grin. Maybe his grandfather had rubbed off on him a little because the thrill of competing and testing his metal against tough opponents was hard to ignore. He learned long ago that you needed to be strong to fight monsters and what better way of doing so than to measure yourself against people that could push you to your limits? If there was no challenge in doing something, why do it at all?
A hologram of a news report depicting the robbery that took place last night appeared. It showed a mug shot of Roman Torchwick before the news began to cover an incident cause by the infamous White Fang. He didn't know much about them except that they were once a peaceful organization pushing for equality among Humans and Faunus. Now though, it appears that they turned to more violent and forceful methods of doing things.
The newsfeed was cut off and was replaced by a hologram of the Huntress that saved them last night. She introduced herself as Glynda Goodwitch and she began to give a rousing but short speech that was meant to inspire them. It sounded like she said the same thing every year with each batch of new arrivals to start things off but nevertheless, it had produced the desired effect as everyone rushed to the windows and chatted even more animatedly than before as soon as the hologram disappeared.
For Jaune however, he had been reminded of his current state as the sight of the slow moving landscape below made him even queasier. He felt his stomach churning and knew that was a bad sign. He needed to find a bathroom or a bucket quickly if he wanted to avoid making a scene.
Covering his mouth, he stumbled away from the window and hurriedly looked around for a bucket. He was so focused on finding someplace to dump his breakfast that he didn't see where he was going and bumped into the white-haired girl he saw earlier.
"Excuse me!" She said, clearly offended. "You need to watch where you're going nimrod!"
He didn't offer a reply because he didn't trust himself to speak at the moment. He really needed to find a trashcan or something.
"Wait, aren't you going to apologize?!" The girl demanded. "That's rude. What are you? Are you a jerk that likes shoving people just because he feels like it?"
Now the girl was exaggerating a little bit. It was just a bump. He didn't do it on purpose. Couldn't she just let it go? He had more pressing issues to deal with at the moment and it was getting harder to control the turmoil his stomach was in. Without another word he turned around and walked away from her.
Clearly, this pissed her off. "Hey! Don't just walk away! Apologize, you brute!"
She caught up to him, grabbed him by his shoulders and spun him around.
That was a very big mistake.
Jaune was unprepared for the sudden one eighty degree turn and his nausea started to act up. He could already feel something coming up from his stomach. He saw the white-haired girl tapping her foot impatiently as she glared at him. He knew that he only had a few seconds left before…
Ah crap.
Jaune doubled over and vomited.
He heard some students making disgusted sounds and a few snickers as they backed away from him. As soon as he was done spilling his guts out, he saw a pair of white high heels that weren't spared from his breakfast. Uh oh, Jaune thought.
He looked up to a very angry looking heiress. She was downright glaring daggers at him as her face turned so red he could imagine steam coming out of her ears. Her fists were shaking in fury as she looked down at her ruined shoes and at the person responsible for her current situation.
It was then that Jaune opened his mouth. "Oh man, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sooo sorry!"
She looked like she was about to clobber him for his crimes but the girl just growled at him before she stormed off, probably to clean herself. The other students parted before her, clearly afraid of getting in her way.
Jaune was deeply mortified. He wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out. He could still see a couple of the students snickering and a few started giving him a wide berth. The blonde hasn't even stepped foot in Beacon and yet he's already managed to make a fool out of himself and pissed off a very cute girl.
Why me?
Jaune palmed his face. "Oh man…"
The rest of the trip to Beacon passed by without incident. Jaune tried to merge with the wall as he tried not to draw any more attention to himself. He really wished this stupid hunk of metal would go faster. The sooner they arrived, the better.
The ship began to land and the doors opened to let the students exit onto the platform. Jaune let everyone exit first before him. He wanted to keep a low profile until that whole fiasco dimmed down. Although he knew one person probably won't forget it any time soon.
The girl he threw up on gave him her coldest glare as she passed him on the way out of the airship and he shuddered.
He trailed behind everyone as he followed them out of the airship and before he knew it, he was on the front steps of Beacon.
It was even better than he had imagined. The place was huge. Apparently, the engineers and architects spared no expense in designing and building the place. The school's tallest tower resembled a clock tower of some kind. All in all, it looked like something straight out of a fiction novel.
Jaune whistled appreciatively and stood rooted to his spot. He was finally here. The blonde inhaled the fresh morning air and just savored the moment.
He did until the moment was ruined by a sudden explosion nearby.
Ruby collapsed on the ground in despair. "Welcome to Beacon."
So far, things were looking pretty bleak for her first day and it wasn't even lunch time yet! Her sister, Yang, had ditched her to go hang out with her friends. Weiss, the snobby princess, reprimanded her for falling on her stuff and causing an explosion. A quiet looking girl had interrupted at one point and Weiss stormed off. Before she could thank the girl however, she was already walking away.
Now, here she was, sulking all alone. How pathetic was that?
"Huh, and here I thought I was the only one having a rough first day." A voice spoke up.
She looked up to find a good looking blonde guy grinning down at her. He held out his hand and helped her to her feet.
"Thanks," Ruby said.
"Don't mention it." He replied.
"Wait a minute….aren't you the guy who threw up on the ship?"
The blonde sighed and hung his head. "Yeah, that's me. Man, I am never going to live that down, huh?"
Ruby felt a little bad for snickering. "Sorry, it was the first thing that came to mind."
"Yeah, laugh it up Crater Face." The blonde countered with a smirk. "I saw what happened back there."
"Hey, that was an accident!" Ruby said defensively.
It was his turn to laugh. "Not so funny when the shoe's on the other foot, is it?"
He stuck his hands in his pockets and began to walk away. She wasn't sure whether to follow him or not. He did just sort helped her but what if he just did it because of how pathetic she must have looked? She got her answer when he stopped a few feet away and looked back at her, slightly confused.
"Aren't you coming? I think we're all supposed to gather in the conference hall for some announcements."
Needless to say, Ruby was elated. She might have actually made her first new friend at Beacon. She caught up to him and they began to walk down the pathway.
"I'm Ruby by the way, Ruby Rose." She told him.
"Name's Jaune Arc," He said and they shook hands. "Short, sweet, and easy to remember. Ladies love it."
"Do they?" Ruby raised an eyebrow at him.
"Oh they will once they get a load of this." Jaune ran a hand through his messy blonde hair and flew into some macho poses.
Ruby couldn't help but laugh at his antics. "Oh yeah, I bet they'll be lining up."
"Laugh all you want but it's only a matter of time." Jaune said. Ruby just rolled her eyes as they kept walking around the campus.
They settled into a comfortable silence for a while. Jaune looked like one of those easy-going types. With his hands in his pockets and a carefree expression on his face, he seemed like the kind of person you would want to talk to. Ruby was glad that she had run into someone like him.
However, Ruby had a strange feeling that she had seen him somewhere before.
After a few minutes, Ruby decided to break the silence. "So…I got this thing. I crafted it myself."
She brought out Crescent Rose in scythe form and Jaune stepped back nervously. "Although I think I might've gone a little bit overboard in designing it."
"A little warning would be nice before you draw your weapon next time." Jaune said. He stared at the scythe with admiration. Ruby could see his eyes trailing up from the blade to the handle where the trigger for the rifle was.
The blonde whistled. "Man, it's the second time I've seen it and yet it still looks pretty awesome."
"Wait, what do you mean second time?" Ruby asked.
"Whoops."
At that moment, realization dawned on her. He did look familiar because she'd seen those pair of blue eyes before. He wore pieces of armor over his black hoodie and she couldn't see his face properly at the time but there was no mistaking it.
"You're the guy from last night!" Ruby exclaimed. A hand clamped down on her mouth as soon as the words left her mouth.
"Hey keep it down, will you?" Jaune spoke in a hushed voice. "My grandpa would kill me if he found out about that and there's no telling what my mom will do to me so I need you to keep quiet about it. Please?"
Ruby nodded and Jaune let go of her mouth.
"I still can't believe it though." Ruby continued sounding a little awed. "You were all like 'Smack!' and 'Kapow!' on those bad guys. It was awesome!"
Jaune rubbed his head sheepishly. "Thanks. You were pretty awesome too. I've never seen a scythe like that before and the way you handled it? You've got to show me some moves."
"Sure. Oh, I almost forgot. What's your weapon?" Ruby asked in curiosity.
Jaune hesitated for a moment but eventually drew his sword. Ruby had to admit, it looked wicked. She had never seen a sword like this one before. Granted, the weapon looked plain compared to all the other fancy swords she'd seen with accessories like a built in gun or a switch that allows it to burst into flames. However, she couldn't deny the certain allure this weapon gave off.
"It's nothing fancy but it's been in the family for generations." Jaune said. "And the sheath is also a collapsible shield."
"Could I try holding it?" She asked. Ruby couldn't help it. She was a weapons enthusiast.
"Sure." Jaune held out the handle toward her and she tentatively wrapped her hands around the handle.
When he let go, Ruby almost dropped the darn thing in surprise. This sword was super heavy! Her arms shook from the unexpected effort of trying to keep the weapon upright. Even Crescent Rose didn't weigh this much. It was like trying to balance heavy weights on a pole. Ruby almost toppled over to the side if Jaune hadn't caught her in time.
"Are you alright?" He asked as she gave him back the sword.
"What is that thing made of?" Ruby caught her breath.
The blonde frowned in confusion. "Is it really that heavy?"
To her astonishment, the blonde swung the sword with ease as he tried a few cuts. He even carried it with one hand. There was no way he could carry something that heavy so easily.
He eventually stopped and sheathed his sword. He took on a thoughtful expression. It was almost as if he was remembering something but then his head snapped up and he turned to face her in alarm.
"Aren't we supposed to be at the opening ceremony right now?"
Ruby's eyes widened as she quickly took note of the time. The ceremony was only five minutes from now. Unfortunately, they also had no idea where they were at the moment.
"I don't suppose there are any directories nearby?"
Oh great.
The two of them were fortunate enough to have wandered near the conference hall and managed to arrive with a couple of minutes to spare. The place was packed with students and the sound of the usual chatter could be heard. Jaune saw a familiar looking blonde calling out to Ruby.
She looked at him apologetically. "That's my sister Yang. I gotta go. See you after the ceremony."
She left before he could offer a reply. He just sighed and looked for a spot where he could get a good view of the stage.
Somehow he managed to wind up at a spot close to where Ruby and her sister were. He didn't get a chance to properly observe her on the ship but now he could see her most notable features. She was definitely a knockout, no doubt about that. Her long blonde hair, lilac eyes, and noticeable bust size would have turned a lot of heads if she walked into a room. What caught his attention however, were the gauntlets on her wrists.
A brawler type, He thought to himself.
It was definitely a unique choice but not really uncommon. Jaune made sure to make a note of her.
It was then that Jaune saw the girl he threw up on, Weiss if he remembered correctly, and he slowly backed away. He seriously didn't need to make that girl any angrier than she already was at him. It was then that Professor Ozpin decided to speak.
Jaune had never really met the Headmaster of Beacon before. He carried himself with dignity and seemed like an intelligent fellow. He held a cane at his side and wore a pair of crooked glasses. He cleared his throat before speaking into the microphone.
"I'll keep this brief." He said while adjusting his glasses. "You have travelled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy in need of purpose and direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this but your time here at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."
Glynda then took over and instructed them to gather in the ballroom for the night and to prepare for their initiation tomorrow before dismissing them. The two of them then left and the hall descended into more chatter as the students mingled amongst themselves.
Jaune just stood there pondering over the headmaster's words.
It wasn't the most inspiring speech but it wasn't boring or meaningless either. Jaune swore he could have seen Ozpin's eyes sweep past all of the students before lingering on some, himself included. The professor seemed a little odd to him but nevertheless, the blonde couldn't help but think of that last statement as a challenge. It was as if the man believed that only a few of the students here today would actually survive initiation and last long enough to become Hunters. Well, he only had one thing to say about that.
"Challenge accepted."
"Wait, so you're telling me that Vomit boy was the guy that helped fight those guys that tried to rob that Dust shop you told me about?"
Ruby nodded. "Yeah, I know, right? I couldn't believe it too. He was so goofy and kind of weird but in a good way when we talked that you'd never expect that he can do some serious butt kicking. You should have seen it. He didn't have a weapon or anything and he still thrashed those guys."
Yang still looked pretty skeptical. "Whatever you say sis,"
The two sisters sat in one of the tables inside Beacon's massive dining hall. The place offered a variety of delicious looking food and everyone was eating lunch with gusto. Other students around them were all engrossed in their own conversations about the upcoming initiations tomorrow.
"Hey, slow down Ruby, those cookies aren't going anywhere." Yang said in amusement. Her sister was contentedly stuffing her face with her favorite sweets.
"But ish shoo good!" Her sister said with her mouth full of chocolate chip. She perked up and swallowed her cookies when she saw something behind her sister.
"Hey, Jaune, we're over here!" Ruby called out to him.
Yang saw a tall blonde boy coming over carrying a tray. She had to admit, Jaune wasn't as gangly looking as she first thought. He was actually kind of cute with his messy hair and easy-going expression. He had a lean build and wore a sword at his hip.
"Sure you guys don't mind?" He asked.
"Not at all, any friend of Ruby's is a friend of mine." Yang said as she made room for him at the table.
"Thanks. I'm Jaune by the way."
"Yang, I'm Ruby's sister."
The two shook hands and proceeded with their meal.
"So Jaune, I hear you like beating up bad guys." Yang smirked. She snickered as Jaune almost choked on his mashed potatoes.
The boy glared pointedly at Ruby. "I thought we agreed to keep that confidential?"
The younger girl scratched her head sheepishly.
Yang patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. It's not my fault my sister is a blabbermouth."
"I am not!" Ruby retorted.
"And a klutz,"
"Yang!"
"Aw, don't be like that Ruby. You know I still wuv you."
Jaune couldn't help but laugh at Ruby's expense. The girl sent him a look of betrayal.
"That's what you get for blabbing." Jaune shrugged. He then decided to spare her from more teasing and changed the subject. "So, what do you guys think about the initiation tomorrow?"
Eventually, the three of them continued to make small talk after speculating on what would be the task that they would have to do tomorrow. They didn't talk about anything important but they did get to know one another a little bit. Ruby and Yang were particularly surprised at the mention of his seven sisters. The two girls had a hard time wrapping their minds around it. One sister was already a handful.
This continued for the rest of the day. The two sisters bickered a little bit and Jaune would smoothly direct the conversation elsewhere by cracking a joke or pointing something out. Yang thought that the other blonde was a pretty okay guy at that point.
When the sun began to set, the three of them followed everyone to the ballroom where they would be spending the night. Apparently, the place was segregated into genders, boys on the right and girls on the left.
"So, I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow." Jaune said.
"Yeah, Goodnight," Ruby said.
The boy gave them a two finger salute before heading off to get ready for bed.
"I'm proud of you sis." Yang told the younger girl as they went off to change into sleeping wear. "You made your first real friend at Beacon."
"And I also blew up an heiress." Ruby sighed dejectedly.
"Well at least you didn't throw up on her."
The two sisters shared a laugh but they both jumped when a familiar voice not too far away shouted at them.
"Hey, I heard that Yang!"
There you have it. I know not much happened but the next one's going to make up for it somewhat. Now you guys know what to do. Leave a review and tell me what you think.
